[friendlyasparag]

I suspect many commentators would say the same thing to the English majors out there who were told that passion and a college degree would lead to economic mobility and not a load of debt. Weren’t they also harboring unreasonable views that were not 100% of their own creation?

[perching_aix]

I'm unable to read minds, so if in your head that self-serving scenario played out such that they were, then they were. Does that justify being uncompassionate towards them by calling them entitled? Is entitled really the best fit for what they were being, rather than say, just plain unreasonable or misguided? Can you read minds that you know they were thinking the world owes them and that's how they developed a passion and completed a college degree?

[friendlyasparag]

I’m glad you are willing to treat both groups the same. I suspect many on this site wouldn’t and would take pains to explain how they’re entirely different :)

[sigbottle]

Maybe I'm just not smart/eloquent enough to come up with a response like GP, but often I'll have arguments in my head where it looks like:

- make a point A

- oh, counterexample with point B

- ehh that's a good point logically...

but I'll just go with point A anyways, especially when point A is something generally optimistic, and point B is cynical.

I don't like going into social arguments for this reason - it's very easy (and often logically correct) to create an ad-absurdum counter-argument to a lot of our general social beliefs.

But to be a functioning human being, sometimes you just have to take the optimistic choice regardless. I know that certainly when I was constantly listening to B, I was depressed out of my mind; would rather be "delusional and stubborn" on some things than depressed.

Twice two might not be five, but it keeps your sanity.

[gopher_space]

In their defense nobody expected America to jettison education. You can’t plan your career around idiocy like that, it just happens to you.